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Manning has been sacked only 11 times this season

By Mike Klis The Denver Post

Posted:
11/15/2012 10:44:20 PM MST

Updated:
11/15/2012 10:44:23 PM MST

ENGLEWOOD -- Peyton Manning wasn't looking. Charles Johnson, a freakishly fast and large defensive end for the Carolina Panthers, was menacingly bearing down on the Broncos' quarterback, but Manning never saw him. Quicker than Broncos right tackle Orlando Franklin could yell, "Look out franchise savior!" Johnson was in on Manning's blind side.

Manning's terrific comeback season, the Broncos' victorious momentum of the present, and championship hopes for the near future suddenly were in split-second peril.

Manning would become one of the luckiest NFL quarterbacks of the week. Despite the league instituting rules in the past three years that banned defenders from striking passers from the neck up and from the knees down, five teams saw their starting quarterback knocked out of their games in week 10.

"We understand the responsibility we have, but you don't play the game any differently thinking about that," said Broncos left guard Zane Beadles. "We know there's a high profile guy back there and he can puts us in a lot of positions to win. But you can't really be thinking about that or we'll be in trouble."

They're thinking about it this week in Pittsburgh where Steelers quarterback and two-time Super Bowl champion Ben Roethlisberger suffered a bruised shoulder and dislocated rib. The San Francisco 49ers and Chicago Bears may well play each other this Monday night not with starting quarterbacks Alex Smith and Jay Cutler, but backups Colin Kaepernick and Jason Campbell.

Smith, Cutler and Philadelphia's Michael Vick all left with concussions last week.

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"It's a fragile position," said defensive lineman Derek Wolfe, whose pass-rush skills were the primary reason the Broncos made him their first pick in the 2012 draft. "And because of the way quarterbacks are built they're fragile guys. They're not built to have a 300-pound guy bury them. You can't be all stiff and strong. But how many D-lineman got hurt in the league this year? They don't check that. How many D-linemen got cut by an offensive lineman and got hurt? Nobody's talking about that."

No, but if Charles Johnson wasn't well schooled in the new rules? Chats around the water coolers from Houston to Minnesota, Boston to San Diego might have well expressed shame about what Johnson did to Manning.

Johnson had an unimpeded path toward Manning because Franklin blocked down on defensive tackle Dwan Edwards. Considering Broncos right guard Manny Ramirez also was blocking Edwards, it would have been better had Franklin reconsidered his assignment. Franklin declined to comment.

Johnson, though, didn't bamboozle Manning, who was looking to the left side of the field as he set up to pass. The pass rusher didn't uncoil and slam his shoulder pads into Manning's unprotected rib cage. Instead, Johnson did what the NFL wants all pass rushers to do: He wrapped his arms around Manning and cinched him up in a bear hug.

The force of the arm wrap was strong enough to shake the ball loose and the Panthers recovered.

The Broncos should have celebrated. For Manning was unharmed. Quarterbacks elsewhere were not so fortunate.

What should the NFL do now? There are so many safety rules for quarterbacks now than there were even five years ago and yet 18 percent of the starting quarterbacks last week got crushed anyway. Will the league come up with more safety standards?

"I don't think they're going to go backwards," said Broncos coach John Fox. "They keep tightening up that strike zone. You hate to see it because you are talking about franchise guys. Being a defensive coach I get frustrated sometimes, but player safety is important."

Broncos defensive tackle Kevin Vickerson was penalized 15 yards and fined $15,000 for reaching out to tackle a scrambling Cam Newton, and wound up grabbing the Panthers' quarterback near his collar.

"They probably will come up with another rule," Vickerson said. "They'll think of something. But you've got to remember, that quarterback, he's a grown man, too."

Reviewing the manner in which Johnson executed his sack-fumble against Manning, it's not a stretch to suggest the relatively new quarterback safety rules may have saved this promising Broncos season. Manning is the No. 1-ranked NFL passer and has led the Broncos to four consecutive victories entering their game with monstrous AFC West implications Sunday against the San Diego Chargers.

"That's one I've never liked to speak to because I know the defensive players have no sympathy whatsoever," Manning said. "The NFL makes the rules. I know defensive players don't like it. I kind of see their side of it. I can assure you that me or any of these other guys have never campaigned to have more rules for the quarterback."

The league came up with a "Tom Brady Rule" (without officially naming it that) after the New England star quarterback was hit at the knee in the 2008 opener and suffered a season-ending injury. That rule came back to hit Von Miller, the Broncos' sensational pass rushing linebacker, for a $21,000 fine this week.

It's getting to where defensive players should consider taking out insurance policies because of how the league targets them for financial punishment.

"They should at least take out cut blocking or something," Miller said. "They should do something for the defense. I mean, I get cut on every play. That's what happened during the game when I was out for a couple plays (with an ankle injury). But no fine for that. That's unnecessary roughness in my book."

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